Multicar Elevator Traffic Pattern Adjustment for Failure Rerouting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Multicar ropeless elevator systems are more vulnerable to failures due to having fewer hoistways, leading to significant capacity loss when a car or transfer station fails, potentially resulting in half or more of the system's capacity being compromised.
Innovation Solution
A method for operating an elevator system that detects failures, determines the location of the failure, and adjusts traffic patterns to direct elevator cars around the failure, including using alternative transfer stations and lanes, to maintain system efficiency and capacity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If a multicar ropeless elevator system uses fewer hoistways to reduce space, then space utilization is improved, but vulnerability to failures increases and system reliability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic traffic patterns that automatically adjust in response to detected failures. When a failure occurs in any lane or transfer station, the system dynamically reroutes elevator cars through alternative lanes and transfer stations, changing the operational configuration in real-time to maintain service capability despite the reduced effective capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes operational parameters by detecting failures and adjusting traffic patterns. When a lane or transfer station fails, the controller modifies the assignment of lanes to directions and the routing of elevator cars, transforming the system from a static configuration to an adaptive one that maintains reliability despite structural limitations.
2Productivity
If elevator cars are disabled in an MCRL lane, then system capacity is reduced, but the patent implements traffic pattern adjustment to maintain operational efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The system establishes predetermined alternative traffic patterns for each possible failure scenario. When a failure is detected, the controller immediately switches to the pre-planned alternative pattern, eliminating decision delays and ensuring continuous operation with minimal capacity loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors the operational status of lanes and transfer stations, using this feedback to detect failures and trigger appropriate traffic pattern changes. This closed-loop control ensures that capacity loss is minimized by rapidly responding to any degradation in system status.
3Productivity
If a transfer station fails, then potentially half of the system capacity is lost, but the patent reroutes cars through alternative transfer stations to minimize impact
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses multiple lanes arranged in parallel, providing alternative pathways when one lane or transfer station fails. By distributing traffic across multiple spatial dimensions (lanes and transfer stations), the system ensures that a single point of failure does not catastrophically reduce capacity.
Data Source
AI summary
According to one embodiment, a method of operating an elevator system having at least one lane is provided. The method comprising: detecting a failure in the elevator system; detecting a location of the failure within the elevator system; determining a traffic pattern of the elevator car in response to the location of the failure, the traffic pattern operable to direct the elevator car to avoid the location of the failure; and moving the elevator car in accordance with the traffic pattern selected.